Letters From A Wounded Soul
by Shadow Kat-Lyn
Summary: Collection of one-shots of letters written by someone to someone else. Most are pre-movie, but post series. Will be updated whenever I write a new one.
1. Dear Al,

This has turned into a series of one-shots about someone writing a letter to someone else, mainly to someone on the other side of the Gate. There will be some manga references, but for the most part everything should be post-series, pre-movie. I personally love the ideas, but I'd love to know what anyone else thinks.

Summary:  
Ed and Hohenheim are in Germany together. Hohenheim brings home a book about alchemy, and Edward decides to write about it to Alphonse, with typical Edward flair.

**Dear Al,**  
"What the **hell** is this!?!" Edward asked his father loudly. He was referring to a book on alchemy that his father had brought him from the library in Munich.

"It's a book on alchemy from this world." He said calmly from his seat in the study they were both in, not looking up from the book he was reading.

"This stupidity is _not_ alchemy!" Edward slammed the book closed before picking it up and tossing it at his father's head.

"I know." Hohenheim caught the book effortlessly and placed it on his desk. Edward stood up and started pacing around the room.

"It's backwards. All of their theories are stupid and backwards." He was angry already at the alchemy book, but he became increasingly angrier as he limped slightly around the room. "Not to mention how slow this world is when it comes to medical and mechanical sciences." He was more upset by his arm not functioning than his leg, really. He could make a fist and raise his arm in front of him, but everything else was a no-go.

"Why don't you write your rant down instead of waking the neighbors? It's already ten." Edward stopped mid-step and glared at his father. "You could improve your left-handed writing skills a little."

"How can you live like this? Why do you accept this hell of a fantasy world?" Hohenheim sighed. This was a common discussion between the two former alchemists since Edward had appeared in Germany. He was getting tired of Edward's constant angry-depressive attitude.

"Because I'm not going home, and I'm not going to try to find a way to. It's not that I don't care about everyone, it's that it's too dangerous for me to be there. If someone were to force me to reveal my alchemical secrets, Amestris would fall. Alchemy doesn't exist here so we're not going to find a way back." Edward stood still for a few moments before he walked back over to the table in the middle of the room. He sat down in his chair before reaching for his journal, which he always kept nearby. It was really a research journal, for all his notes, but that was only the first few pages. He un-clipped the pencil attached to the binding before he started writing. Hohenheim stayed up a bit longer, finishing his book, before he went to bed. Edward refused to say anything; all he did was write.

The next day, Hohenheim woke up a little later than he usually did and found a note from Edward saying he was taking the "inferior book of religious bullshit" back to the library. Hohenheim sighed as he looked over the table that was filled with books and notes and other research materials that they had left out the night before, noticing Edward's journal laying open to the blank page in front of what he had written the night before.

"Well, I don't think I should read it, but this _is_ my house..." Hohenheim muttered as he sat down in Edward's chair and flipped the page. "So, he turned it into a note for Alphonse..."

_Dear Al,  
I hate this world. Everything is washed out and bleak. There's barely any color, the food has no taste or smell, and it's as if everything I feel is being muffled through blankets or something._

_Alchemy here is utterly backwards, too. These "alchemists" came up with theories based off of some theory a man thought up hundreds of years ago, then set about trying to fit all their chemical formulas to these theories, __without even testing them__! It's magic, not science, and the flow of energy doesn't exist here. There is no way to perform our real alchemy. Not with a handclap, not with a circle, not with anything._

_I know you're still alive, somewhere. The fact that I did have my real arm and leg again proves our theory that things lost to the Gate through equivalent exchange are kept inside the Gate. So, you're either still inside the Gate, or are home. I hope your home, because, if not, my sacrifice didn't work and I'm in this hell for nothing._

_They don't have automail either. They don't even have good prosthetics. The Gate took my arm and leg again, so it's difficult for me to get around. The Bastard helped me engineer a somewhat usable arm, but __**everything**__ is inferior to Winry's work, even her at her worst when she was little. I do well just to make a fist with my hand with this crap-tatsic piece of junk._

_I have never hated anything as much as I hate this world. I can't even dream when I sleep, which isn't that often anymore. I just don't need to. I haven't been hungry since I got here, either, which neither condition I can explain. Is it further proof that you're not still inside the Gate or does it mean you're dead?_

_I don't know, and it's driving me insane. I keep looking for a way back, but without alchemy, I'm at a dead end._

_Even though the science here is shoddy and underdeveloped, there are some breakthroughs that we haven't thought of back home. I've learned a bunch about their mechanics, in my quest to get some semblance of an arm like Winry's, but some of it I wouldn't go near. They have these flying machines called airplanes and, although I'm studying them right now, I don't ever want to pilot one. There's still really primitive, but when I get home, I think I could create a much safer and better one using alchemy._

_I am going to make it home to you, Al__. I promise. I've read most of the scientific reports over here, and there's a theory that I've come up with that might work. I'm not too sure of it yet, so I'm going to look into it with more detail. If it does pan out, I might be home in a few years. The Bastard won't help me much, because he doesn't want to go back home. He's become wrapped up in some political/religious cult and he refuses to tell me anything about it. The bastard._

_...I started writing this as a rant about the utterly preposterous and stupid alchemy that exists over here, but I guess I got off-topic a little. You'll probably laugh and then reprimand me for calling our father a bastard. And for ranting. You always did take after Mom more than I ever did, even when you were in armor. Okay, so that doesn't really sound like something I'd say, but I don't care. I miss you, Brother, and it's so lonely and cold here..._

_...Could this be retribution for sealing your soul to that armor? From everything you said about it, it feels like that here. Maybe the Truth is angry at me?_

_I really don't know anymore. I can't tell the difference between dream and reality anymore._

_It all seems like some sort of nightmare, but I can't wake up, no matter what I do. I want it to end, I truly do, but the only way for that to happen is if I come back home. I'm tired of all the killing, and this world seems to be obsessed with it. The Bastard said that the deaths in this world fuel our alchemy at home, but I don't believe. I can't believe it._

_I don't believe in equivalent exchange like we used to, but I do try to uphold it. All of our sacrifices didn't get rewarded, but the Bastard seems to think they were. Every time I ask him why he thinks that, he just shakes his head and changes the subject. I live with him out of necessity even though I hate it; if my arm or leg breaks, I can't exactly fix them. Plus, he can get me into the library here and get me copies of all the research._

_I don't accept this world and I never will. This world... there's no _real_life__ to it... All right, I'm making myself depressed again. I'll see you soon, Alphonse._

_Searching for you..._

_Edward_

Hohenheim quickly put the journal back the way it was before standing up and position the chair where it was as well.

"Don't worry, Edward; I'll get you home. It's the least I can do for you."

End  
So, like it? Hate it? What do you think?

Shadow Kat-Lyn


	2. Dear Ed,

Another one-shot in the style of chapter one. I decided to change _Dear Al,_ to _Letters from a Wounded Soul_ so I could write more one-shots like the first one. I love the idea and I haven't seen it done on here before.

Summary  
Alphonse has been living with the Rockbells and Rose for a while now, since he and his brother disappeared into the Underground City below Central months ago. Winry discovers a letter written by ten-year-old Alphonse one day after a talk with him. She had no idea of how much he missed his brother...

**Dear Ed,**  
"Al?" Winry called as she knocked on the boy's bedroom door. "Alphonse?" She asked, poking her head inside the unlocked room after a minute. No one was in there. "Where'd he go? I thought he said he wasn't feeling well..." She said under her breath as she frowned a bit.

Since Rose had brought Alphonse home to Resembool a few weeks earlier, he'd acted distant. They did explain most of what had happened to him and his brother over the last four years, since he couldn't remember anything past his brother's and his attempt at human alchemy. Even after the initial shock wore off, he still acted strange. He would sit down and not move for hours, just staring off at something. Winry noticed that whenever he did this, a strange deepness would open up in his eyes and they looked identical to Edward's; the kind of eyes that no matter what they were looking at, they would always see something more.

Winry sighed.

"Maybe he's working at his study again..." She started walking toward the stairs to go into the livingroom where she and Pinako had set up a desk in the corner for Alphonse. Rose had found Edward's travelogue and Alphonse was set on decoding the alchemic notes. He was making little progress, but with each passing day his resolve deepened. He would learn all his brother's techniques.

"Hey, Al? You in here?" She asked as she walked downstairs. She stopped when she could see into the room from about halfway down the stairs, and saw Alphonse sitting at his desk. He was staring out the nearby window, and had that distant look in his eyes. She walked over to him, stopping a few feet to his side. She remained silent and unintrusive, but he turned to look at her anyway.

"Oh, hey Winry. Did you want something?"

"Not really. I just thought you'd like something to eat, since you said you weren't feeling well earlier, but I guess you're better now?"

"Yeah. I just needed a little extra sleep, is all."

"That's good." She noticed that Edward's notebook was open on top of the desk again, and a halfway filled sheet of paper sat next to it underneath a pencil. "Have you gotten any farther at decoding your brother's notes?" He smiled a bit.

"Yeah. I found a page of transmutation arrays, and I can't believe them. They're so complex, along with the equations behind them; I can't even understand the thought processes behind them. And most of these are from when Brother was still **twelve**" He picked up another sheet of paper from the top of the desk and showed it to Winry. It was filled with arrays, most of which were more complex than any she ever remembered Edward used. "I can't believe at how effective some of them are. I've never seen anything like them, not even when we were studying under Teacher." Winry smiled at his enthusiasm. At least he could be close to his brother, even if it was through alchemy.

"They didn't call your brother a genius for nothing." Winry saw Alphonse nod a bit, and saw that faraway look come back into his golden eyes. "Of course, you are too. You're the more practical younger brother who always has to clean up after the oversensitive elder brother. If you weren't a genius, you wouldn't have been able to help out Edward as much as you did." Alphonse nodded again before turning his gaze away from Winry and back to Edward's notebook. "Don't forget to put everything away tonight. We have a customer coming tomorrow for a tune up on his automail."

"Alright Winry."

The day passed quickly into night, and Alphonse stayed up nearly all night at his desk, writing away. Winry, whose bedroom was next to Al's, heard him finally drag himself into his bedroom a little before dawn.

The next morning Winry woke up early, and in a relatively good mood to boot. She quietly went downstairs to where her grandmother Pinako was fixing breakfast. With a small glass of milk, she went into the living room to wait for the rest of the breakfast to get done. She noticed that Alphonse's notes and books were still scattered across the desk. She knew that both Elric brothers' meticulously kept notes, but in ways that only they understood. She sighed before she started straightening the stacks of paper.

"I'm sorry to disturb your stuff, Al, but I told you to put it away last night." Winry, who was now four years older than Alphonse, had sunk into the role of caring older sister quite well for an only child. There was too much of a time gap between them to be best friends again, just for the sheer awkwardness of it. But she didn't mind; in fact, she enjoyed looking after him like a brother. At least she could help until his real brother returned. She noticed that a new notebook sat open on the desk, and noticed the heading to the first page. She sat down slowly and started to read.

_Dear Ed,  
I miss you! It's been nearly three months and you haven't come home yet. I don't remember what happened to us, and I'm so afraid that you're dead. But I can't believe that or accept that. I won't._

_I've lost all my memories of the years my soul was sealed into armor, and my body is physically ten again. I woke up in Central, and I had no idea who anyone was. They said that they were friends of ours, but I don't remember any of them. I was so frightened until a girl named Rose said she was going to bring me home._

_She and Winry explained what happened to us, but it just doesn't seem real. I can't connect to anything, because nothing really sticks to me. None of my thoughts or feelings are there. It's just like a bunch of stories someone's telling using our names._

_What happened to you, Brother? Did you lose your memories too and are wandering around somewhere, or are you trapped within the "Gate"? I've thought up so many theories, but I don't know if anything's right or not. Teacher hasn't been able to make it out here yet, so I can't talk about the alchemy behind it to anyone who can really help. Winry and Rose have been so nice and helpful, but they don't know enough about alchemy to help._

_Rose found your notes on alchemy. I can't believe some of the stuff you came up with. It's so complicated and advanced that I'm still not sure what I think I've decoded is right. For all I know you coded it twice and into two totally different codes to throw off anyone in case you lost it or it was stolen. I can't wait until Teacher comes out so I can show her what I've come up with based off of your notes. I've experimented with alchemy, and I've found out I have a really useful ability, but I'm not going to write it down here, in case someone finds this letter and uses it against me. I will say that I've started looking into air-related stuff more, because it's interesting to me. I think I know of a circle that will allow me to make mini tornadoes whenever I need them._

_I'm going to find you, so we can be together again. I don't care how long it takes, I'm not going to give up until I'm by your side again. From what everyone's told me about the last four years, we weren't always happy, but we were together, which makes even the worst stories so envious to me._

_I need you Big Brother!_

_I want us to be like we were when we were little; we were always together, even if we did fight a bunch. Without Mom, I don't have any more family. Winry and Auntie Pinako are _like_ family, but they aren't you._

_I'm not going to try to bring Mom back through alchemy. I think she'd be so sad to see me try it again. What I am going to do is look for a way to find you if you aren't here in Amestris anymore. I'm going to go back and train with Teacher more, and learn everything I can from her. She's not doing so well anymore, her sickness is getting the better of her more and more, but she's still incredibly strong. Well, that's what Winry's told me. I haven't seen Teacher yet, so I don't know for sure. I'm not doubting Winry's words, though; I just haven't confirmed it for myself._

_I'm still a scientist, and I have to confirm everything with an experiment. She taught us that right along with "All is One, One is All." I still remember that much._

_I heard a bunch of bad rumors about you Brother when I was in Central. The officers you used to be under said you were a foulmouthed brat who overreacted to any mention of your height and you always had a sarcastic comeback to your direct superior, Brigadier General Mustang. He was a Colonel last time you heard, right? He was promoted by the deceased F__ü__hrer King Bradley. If I find out half of the stuff they said is true, you're overdue for a good smacking._

_I'm living with Winry and Auntie Pinako for now, along with Rose and her baby, Cain. They're both doing great, after what's happened to them. She's probably going to home to Lior soon, though. Mr. Armstrong is out there now helping them rebuild. It's so nice of him to volunteer to do that._

_I'm about to fall asleep here writing this to you, so I guess I'll write more later._

_Waiting for your return..._

_Alphonse_

Winry sat in shock after reading the note. She didn't realize how much it pained him to hear stories of him and his brother. She quickly stood up and started stacking everything together before moving it to an empty drawer in the desk, the notebook with the letter stuck in there as well. She sat Edward's notebook on top of the stack before gently sliding the drawer shut.

"I'm sure he'll find his way home, Alphonse. I'm going to help you make sure he does."

**End**  
I don't know how long I'll continue these. I guess until I run out of ideas. I'm thinking about either switching between Ed and someone else, or just randomly have somone write a letter to someone else (more than likely to Edward if they're on the Amestris side.).

I'd love to hear from reviewers about what they want to see happen.

Shadow Kat-Lyn


	3. Dear Alphonse,

Thank you to my reviewers! I feel so loved to have been reviewed! So, here's the latest installment.

Summary:  
Months after Alphonse is found in Central and taken home to Resembool by Rose, Roy Mustang finalizes his transfer North and leaves Central for, he believes, ever, leaving Riza to clean up after him, like always.

**Dear Al, (2)  
**He was gone. Roy Mustang left Central City and was probably never going to return. No one believed him when he said he wanted a demotion and to be placed in the most isolated outpost in the country. No one believed him until he was gone. He left on the first train out North when the transfer was approved.

Riza Hawkeye stood watching the disappearing train until even she couldn't see it anymore. She didn't cry, but she was hurt. She had always protected him, helped him, and never left his side. But he wouldn't let her come with him. She had saluted him first when the train whistle that signaled departure rang. He had smiled at her a bit.

_"I'm under you, Lieutenant Hawkeye. I should be saluting you."_ He said before saluting her as the train pulled out of the station. She didn't reply, because the time for words was gone. He had turned his back on her and the rest of the company that had watched it for him for so long.

"Come on, Lieutenant Hawkeye. You'll catch a cold standing out here..." Jean Havoc said quietly as he approached Riza. She had been standing there for a while; exactly how long she didn't know, but the train had disappeared from her sight a while ago. She nodded and turned away from the train tracks, following Jean as he led her to a car he had driven down here to pick up Riza in. They got in, and it was silent the entire way back to Headquarters.

When they arrived, Riza went straight to the old office they had worked in, and sat down at Roy's desk. He had asked her to clean out his desk for him. She had agreed after seeing the depressed state he was in. The others left soon after Riza came in; only Jean and Kain were left after an hour. She started systematically going through Roy's stuff, sorting it into boxes that they had brought in previously. The first thing to do was to go through his three drawers of research notes and other alchemic documents of his.

_"What should I do with your alchemy research?"_ She had asked him after he had asked her to clean out everything. He looked away with his one good eye before replying.

_"Whatever you want to do with it. I don't need it anymore."_

It wasn't hard to figure out which were alchemic documents. He made specific doodles in the margins of notebooks filled with women's names and dates they were supposed to go on. It was all code, and Riza knew that. Of course, there were a few real date lists scattered in-between the three drawers, but Riza knew how to tell the difference.

"We're going on home, Lieutenant Hawkeye."

"Don't work too late." Jean and Kain told her as they left.

"I won't. I'll finish with this drawer before heading home." She replied to them, already halfway finished with the last drawer of Roy's notes. She looked up at the clock and noticed it was nearly ten, but time didn't really matter to her. She was unafraid to traverse the streets of Central after dark. It was a known fact that the thugs out on the street had more to fear from her than she had to fear from them.

"What's this? A letter in his alchemy drawer?" Riza asked as she checked inside the mostly empty drawer. There were only a few loose sheets of paper and a plain envelope left inside. She picked up the envelope and, after seeing there was no address or postage on the outside, opened it and dumped the contents onto the desk. A small picture and a few pages folded together fell out. She flipped the picture over so she could see what it was, and was surprised.

It was a picture of Edward, Alphonse (still in armor), and Winry, taken outside the Hughes' residence with Gracia, Elicia, and Mäes standing around them. Riza had no idea when the picture was taken, but from the few bandages on Edward's face, it must have been taken after he was released from the hospital following the Lab. 5 incident.

Riza set the picture aside and picked up the letter, unfolding it before she started reading it.

_Dear Alphonse,  
__I know you don't remember me, especially after I talked to you when we found you after the Underground City incident, but some things can't be told face-to-face._

_I know Edward isn't dead, but I'm still responsible for what happened to you and him. I went after the Homunculus Pride while Edward went to the Underground City to save you from Dante._

_You're going to try to find a way to him, right? If any of my alchemy notes will help, contact Riza Hawkeye for them. She'll keep them safe and help you decode them._

_It's the least I can do after everything that's happened. Just please don't come to me. I won't have anything to do with it now. That part of my life is behind me now. I can't go back to it for a while. Maybe in a few years I'll be able to, but not now._

_You probably don't trust me, but I genuinely cared about what happened to you and your brother. We might have fought and insulted each other, but I did everything in my power to help you on your quest and protect you as much as possible._

_I won't ask for your forgiveness for allowing Edward to go to you alone, and my offer of my alchemy notes isn't out of atonement, because I learned long ago there's nothing I can do to receive that, but because you deserve to know._

_Sincerely,_

_Roy Mustang_

Riza stared at the letter for a little while before replacing the letter and picture in the envelope. She finished looking at the few pieces of paper in the bottom of the last drawer of alchemy notes before placing them in the box with the rest of it, and placing the letter on top of the papers. She looked at it for a little while before standing up, turning off the desk lamp, and going to the door of the office. She looked back at the darkened desk and sighed.

"Stupid man, it was never your fault. There's no way you could have known."

**End  
**Like always, ideas and constructive criticism appreciated and accepted! I have a few more ideas for letters, and apologize for the length of this one. I didn't think Roy would write that much to Alphonse, even though he is all emo and depressed.

If my muse cooperates, I have at least three more letters to write. Hopefully I'll be able to get those done soon.

Shadow Kat-Lyn


End file.
